Fiber optic technology is now being utilized with increased frequency in the CATV, telecommunications and other industries. One aspect of this increased utilization requires that fiber optic cable be integrated into EMI/RFI shielded and weather sealed aerial, buried and underground enclosures/trunk housings or other sealed enclosures. The housings contain fiber optic connectors or splices of types known in the art, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,461, which are utilized to precisely space and align the clad cores of the fiber optic cables.
Current methods for integrating fiber optic cables into shielded/sealed trunk housing are varied and often result in compromise of the integrity of the EMI/RFI shielding and/or weather sealing. For example, one method of integration involves drilling a hole into one side of the trunk enclosure. The hole is lined with a rubber grommet and the fiber optic cable is fed through the grommeted hole until it is positioned so that the central strength member can be secured to a fastener within the housing. After the cable is securely positioned and aligned, silicon grease is applied to the grommet/cable entry area to enhance the weather seal.
The method for integrating fiber optic cables into a trunk housing as described in the preceding paragraph does not provide EMI/RFI shielding. Furthermore, the cable is only secured by friction forces exerted by the grommet such that the cable may be inadvertently subject to rotation which may adversely affect core spacing/alignment. In addition, such movement of the cable may degrade the weather seal such that sufficient protection against environmental conditions is not provided, thereby allowing contaminating matter to enter the trunk housing.
A need exists for a fiber optic cable entry connector which facilitates integration of fiber optic cables with sealed housings. The connector should provide both EMI/RFI shielding, strain relief and proper weather sealing to preclude conditions which may adversely affect data transmission within cable cores. The connector should be readily compatible with the various constructions and sizes of fiber optic cables available in the market today. The connector should be configured to preclude inadvertent rotation of the cable. The connector should facilitate preparation of the cable prior to integration with the trunk housing.